Sneaky ways to improve your flexibility

In this busy world, you rarely have time to go to the gym or yoga to increase your flexibility. And when you sit at a desk all day, that's likely something you need. Follow these stretching exercises to limber up anywhere.

• Your muscles are at their most flexible and pliable after a workout, making your stretching more effective.
• After any activity designed to increase your heart rate — walking, running, swimming — spend 10 minutes stretching to cool off and bring down your heart rate.

• Grab a chin bar and just hang for a minute or two.
• It feels really good and it can do a lot of good for your spine, arm, shoulder and chest muscles.
• Try it on the monkey bars at a children's playground.
• Your hands and shoulders need to support your entire body weight, so get the OK from your doctor first.

• A Swedish study tested 20 cross-country skiers for flexibility.
• Half took a dance class, the other half did not.
• The skiers who took the weekly dance class improved the flexibility of their spines and increased their agility and ski speed. So grab a partner and hit the dance floor.

• Driving can cause back pain if you don't stretch.
• Get out of the car, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, put your hand in the small of your back for support; lean backwards.
• Bend forward, hands on knees; exhale as you round your back and tuck in your chin.
• Flatten your back, while inhaling. Hold each position for a count of two, repeating ten times.

• Standing in any waiting line, stand on your toes, as high as you can, as long as you can.
• With feet on the ground, lift the toes of your right foot without lifting your heel; hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with your left foot.

Put your smartphone on speaker, and while you're on hold, do neck rolls.

• Sprawl out on the floor and do your stretching routine while watching your favourite show.
• If nothing else, make a point of stretching during the commercials.

• Sit with one hip as close to the wall as you can get.
• Lie on your back and extend your legs up the wall, so that your bottom, the backs of your thighs and your heels touch the wall.
• You'll feel a mild stretch in your legs as gravity causes fluids to drain out of your legs, back to your heart. Hold the position for five minutes.